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Professional Irrigation Contractors attend many Irrigation seminars and design classes and in all of these your taught to design the irrigation to spray away from the house, sidewalks, driveways and streets. Putting the water where it is most needed. I am in Northwest Florida and we have a Iron problem in the water and if you don't design properly you end up with Orange driveways and houses and pissed off clients.

I have to side with FixItDaddy on the conservation issue. The water is not wasted! It runs off the sidewalk into the ground where it moistens the soil and the grass grows, period. If it goes down the storm sewer, it runs off into the streams, lakes, etc., where it evaporates and comes right back to the water supply, just like rain. Those who write the state and local codes probably understand clearly that if the system costs more, they will collect more sales tax. With that said, it is probably in poor taste to water the sidewalks, knowing that they are for pedestrian use 24/7.

Reasons why not:
#1 It waste the customer's money!!!
#2 POOR DESIGN
#3 It is against some state & city codes. Austin will actually fine installers for putting heads new the curbs and run off. With all the water conservation efforts you will start seeing even more codes / regulations. For example, Dallas is about to start mandating rain censors.

I think I'll stay with proper design. If your watering the sidewalk what grows there? It's a waste of money and it's going directly down the drain, which may be taking fertilizer with it, doggie doo, whatever.

Im sure intentions are good in using the proper design, trying to water just the grass. But as I mentioned before those spray heads almost always get the sidewalk wet anyway. It really doesnt matter though, because that water isn't wasted. It runs off of the sidewalk and onto the lawn. [] Another point to consider is that 3 or 4 large rotors could replace 15 to 20 spray heads and possibly eliminate the need for a zone or 2. Maybe the proper design should be reconsidered? After all, the proper way for a lady to ride a horse use to be side saddle... Just a thought...

why not water the sidewalk?

I dont understand why pro-installers install all those little spray heads trying to avoid spraying the sidewalks. I've never seen a dry walk when the heads are spraying by it. Why not just get it over with and put the big rotors in and be done with it. I checked locally and there's no code against it. Most watering is done in the very early morning, so it really doesnt bother anyone walking by. I just dont get it. The only reason I can think of is more heads means more plumbing, which means more zones, which means a bigger controller, which means......... MORE MONEY!!! By George, I think I've got!!! Any other thoughts??? []